The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Employers are constantly trying to find the best possible candidates to fill their employment needs. Traditional approaches to finding candidates generally involve filtering candidate credentials included in resumes and evaluating candidates during the interview process with human-created metrics, questionnaires or interview questions to evaluate how well candidates fit the position in question. As such, the accuracy of a candidate assessment can vary since a candidate may or may not prepare for the process by tailoring the resume towards a specific job opening and/or couch the interview in a way to optimize what the candidate thinks the potential employer wants to see and hear, and interviewers vary in their ability to gauge such a candidate during the interview time period. Additionally, such an approach limits the candidates to those that meet the traditional requirements “on paper.” Thus, the employer is unable to evaluate potential candidates having valuable talents that cannot be measured by the traditional approach of evaluating a candidate through a resume and one or two interviews.
U.S. patent application publication US 2013/0325536 to Podlaseck, et al, titled “Measuring Short-Term Cognitive Aptitudes of Workers For Use In Recommending Specific Tasks,” filed May 30, 2012, discusses a method of testing the aptitude of workers by having each worker play a cognitive aptitude measurement game. Podlaseck then analyzes workers' gameplay as a basis for recommending that worker for a specific task. However, Podlaseck also fails to contemplate that one employer may evaluate and/or interpret game metrics in a different way than another employer when assessing aptitudes based upon gameplay data.
U.S. patent application publication US 2013/0344968 to Halfteck, et al, titled “System And Method For Extracting Value From Game Play Data”, filed Jun. 5, 2013, also discloses a system that has workers play through game scenarios similar to work scenarios. Halfteck's system then uses that gameplay data to determine personality traits that match a game player with an open position. Halfteck also teaches that different matching service customers could be interested in different aspects of the analysis results. However, Halfteck's system applies the same sort of analysis to each worker's gameplay performance.
Non-patent literature website publication by Prophecy Sciences, dated Nov. 21, 2013, titled “Predicting performance through neuroscience” discusses that a person's ideal work environment could be found via cognitive games, biometric signals and machine learning algorithms. Prophecy Sciences, however, fails to explain how predictions about a person are made, how any testing is conducted or how such tests are interpreted to analyze a particular individual.
Non-patent literature website publication of by ConnectCubed, dated May 8, 2013, titled “Frequently Asked Questions” discloses the use of assessment games that are used to evaluate employment candidates. However, while ConnectCubed discusses tapping into new talent pools, ConnectCubed fails to discuss how game results may apply to non-traditional candidates.
All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for improved systems and methods of evaluating potential candidates that enable an organization to recognize non-traditional sources of talent.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.
The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously.